Essendon v Melbourne betting tips, prediction & odds; AFL Rd 15 preview
Welcome to our Essendon v Melbourne betting tips, prediction and odds analysis ahead of their AFL round 15 clash at the MCG on Saturday night.
The Demons are a $1.25 favourite against the much-improved Bombers ($4), with up to 25,000 people set to be in attendance, following the easing of covid-19 restrictions in Victoria.
The Bombers defeated Hawthorn last outing by 13 points, but failed at their last major test, when they were soundly beaten by Richmond a few weeks prior.
AFL THURSDAY: Brisbane v Geelong tips
AFL FRIDAY: Richmond v St Kilda tips
Melbourne will still be smarting after they lost to Collingwood on the Queens Birthday Monday, which has some AFL fans questioning whether they are really a premiership contender. Many Demons were below their best, including their best player Christian Petracca and young spearhead Sam Weidemann.
Essendon will be boosted by the return of David Zaharakis and Alec Waterman after the pair missed the Hawks game with soft tissue injuries. Gun onballer Dylan Shiel will miss another week as he continues his return from a long injury layoff.
Melbourne has a remarkably fit list and will be boosted by tough midfielder Jack Viney, who has overcome a toe injury. They will also be boosted by the return of Bailey Laurie, Deakyn Smith and Joel Smith through the VFL. Demons coach Simon Goodwin has also indicated Weidemann might be in the gun, after his whipping from Darcy Moore against the Magpies, with recruit Ben Brown the logical replacement.
Continue reading for our free Essendon v Melbourne tips and winner prediction for Saturday night’s clash at the MCG.
| Start: | 7.25pm AEST, June 26 |
| Venue: | MCG, Melbourne |
| Head-to-head odds: | Essendon ($4) v Melbourne ($1.25) |
| Line betting: | Essendon +22.5 ($1.90) v Melbourne -22.5 ($1.90) |
| Premiership odds: | Melbourne $6; Essendon $51 |
Essendon v Melbourne tips
Our AFL betting expert has assessed the markets and found some free Essendon v Melbourne tips:
Christian Petracca 20 possessions and two goals
Petracca has taken his game to a new level this season, but he would be bitterly disappointed with his game against the Magpies, which was highlighted by his direct opponent Jordan DeGoey dominating. Petracca carries himself with a swagger that all the guns seem to possess and we’ll back him to bounce back strongly here. We think 20 possessions and two goals will be paying about $4 and offers some nice value. You can put this market on via a same game multi or the doubles markets at PlayUp Australia.
Possessions betting tips
There are some serious ball magnets in this game, with Clayton Oliver and Darcy Parish set to go head-to-head unless one team breaks ranks and tags. Both are gut runners and crucial to their teams, although we suspect Parish is a little more polished. We’re confident both will lead their team’s possessions and get over 30, while adding in Zac Merrett as a third wheel (to get 25+) will give you a same game multi paying around the $4 mark, but he could cop a Harmes tag. We’re willing to wait and see on Viney, who is coming back after a long layoff.
Jake Stringer to kick 2+ goals
It’s a contract year for the Essendon forward and he’s playing like it, after arguably his best game against Hawthorn. While we think the Demons will put more work into him, Stringer is the type of player that can kick two goals with minimal opportunity. He is paying $1.91 to kick 2+ goals.
Essendon v Melbourne prediction 26/6
Melbourne might be top of the ladder but some believe the Magpies exposed them as pretenders, who cannot flag, while we think they are just one of about five teams that can win the 2021 premiership. Games against a team like Essendon, which was not expected to play finals, are a must win if they are to remain in the top four. We think we will stick to the exotics when betting on this clash, but suspect the Demons might just get home, after Essendon push them all the way. Our final Melbourne v Essendon prediction? Demons by nine points.
Subscription TV: Foxtel; streaming/IPTV: Kayo; Free-to-air: Channel 7
All of the top Australian bookmakers will offer markets on the AFL.
The game starts at 7:25pm AEST, June 26, 2021.
Relevant news
Australia v West Indies betting tips & prediction | T20 Series 2024
Australia has the opportunity to win a third series against the West Indies this summer,…
AFL round 7 fixture and odds update
Richmond will begin favourite with Australian online bookmakers for their clash against West Coast on…
Dragons v Roosters April 25 2022, NRL round 7: free tips & odds
St George Illawarra and Sydney Roosters line up in their traditional Anzac Day clash at…
Storm v Sharks April 2022, NRL round 6: free tips & odds
Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks square off on Saturday night, April 16, at AAMI Park…
Richmond v Western Bulldogs tips, prediction and odds update; AFL preview 9/4
Welcome to our Richmond v Western Bulldogs betting tips, prediction and odds analysis ahead of…
NRL round 5, 2022: Titans v Eels free tips & odds
Gold Coast Titans host Parramatta on Saturday night, April 9, at Cbus Super Stadium in…
Login
Register